


Everybody's a Critic

by Incoherentbabblings



Series: Tumblr Ask Game Prompts [24]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Engagement, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Online Shopping, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Teasing, The Batfamily is nosy, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:41:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27065062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Incoherentbabblings/pseuds/Incoherentbabblings
Summary: Tim's just browsing. Honest.
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake
Series: Tumblr Ask Game Prompts [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1970230
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Everybody's a Critic

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:
> 
> _“I better not hear anything coming from your room!”_

“I’m gonna head up, Tim,” Stephanie murmured, kissing his cheek.

“’Kay.”

“Don’t be too late,” she chided uselessly, leaving the kitchen in Wayne Manor and padding upstairs to Tim’s room. Tim watched her go, clicking open a new tab on his browser and heading to some hidden bookmarks he had made. He was sat in his pyjamas, hair wet, back from a relatively calm night of patrol. He looked over at the clock above the fruit bowl.

Half four in the morning.

 _Don’t be too late_ seemed to have moved on to _Don’t be too early_ , but Tim supposed Stephanie had a point. He rubbed his eyes, yawned, and continued to browse through various rings.

Just browsing.

Honest.

He chewed his fingers, getting flustered as he looked. What would she even like? Was it too risky to ask? How did people go about this whole thing anyway? It wasn’t like he could ask Bruce, right? Oh no. _Never_ Bruce.

“Don’t go for a solitaire. They’re too popular at the moment,” Dick said, resting his chin on Tim’s head.

Tim froze. Where the hell did he come from?

There was an uncomfortable pause as slowly, Tim muscles relaxed. It was just Dick. He could ask Dick for advice. Dick had bought rings before (regardless of how the wedding turned out), he would know the whole process, he would –

“Agreed. Get something colourful,” Jason said, peering over Tim’s left shoulder.

Tim yelled, unnaturally high pitched, and slapped the laptop shut. Duke was standing behind the counter, looking at little confused at Tim’s panic. His look only increased in concern when Tim wailed again.

“What the hell, dude?” Duke said, raising his hands passively.

Wheezing, Tim gasped, “Where did you all come from?”

Dick reached over and re-opened the laptop. Duke wandered around the counter so he could see for himself. Jason took an obnoxious sip of water, the gurgling making Tim twitch.

“Let us see…” Dick reached around and caged Tim in, tapping at the mousepad. “Oh, _come on_ Tim. Tiffany’s? Basic.”

“Basic,” Duke parroted.

Tim whimpered, trying to close the laptop and flee.

“You know,” said Jason, swallowing obnoxiously. “I saw Pippa Wang’s engagement ring the other day before the Mr Freeze froze the gala dinner. Must have been like _six_ carats.”

“I’m not looking for an engagement ring!” Tim lied, looking up at Dick, openly pleading. “Bruce would throw us in the river if he thought we were getting married this young!”

“Oh disgusting!” Damian uttered, appearing at Tim’s elbow. “You and Brown married? Vile concept.”

Tim instinctively slapped Damian across the head, shock at the final brother’s appearance making way for a short temper with his apparent insult towards Steph.

This caused a bit of a ruckus, assorted yelling and tugging and pulling, but finally Tim managed to wiggle his way out of the kitchen with his laptop held tight in his arms, more precious than a baby. Ignoring the calls for him to come back, he turned the corner to go up the stairs, only to bump into Cassandra, who laughed at his panic.

“Okay?” she said, correcting his posture.

“ _No_. No, I am going to bed. Goodnight!” He yelled back at the kitchen, receiving responses from Dick and Duke (ever the polite ones). Cassandra took a good look at Tim then smiled so broadly her eyes closed.

“I saw Steph go in earlier. Night Tim!”

He sighed, his entire body slouching, and slumped away up the stairs. God, he was tired and his brothers were deliberately akin to gnats or mosquitoes and he just wanted a moment’s peace and q—

“I better not hear anything coming from your room!” Cassandra called up, winking knowingly.

Tim legitimately screamed and dropped the computer. He gnashed his teeth in frustration then leaned over the bannister.

“Good _night_ Cassandra.”

She closed her eyes and smiled, wiggling her head, then she was gone through to the kitchen.

Before Tim could catch his breath, his bedroom door opened, and out came Stephanie, bleary eyed. She saw the laptop crashed on the floor and picked it up. Tim’s breathing halted, and he silently cursed his family.

“Honestly, what’s all the yelling about…” she trailed off, seeing the tabs that were open. She looked at Tim, who looked back, mouth wide open enough to catch flies.

 _Crap_.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on the 3rd of August 2020.


End file.
